Neal Francis at The Guild

The latest album from Neal Francis, Return To Zero, emerged from the kind of visionary feverdream that only the most masterful and inventive artists are capable of bringing to life. Amid an agrueling tour schedule that found him playing nearly 400 shows from 2021 to 2024, the Chicago-based singer/songwriter/pianist immersed himself in creating a beautifully strange entangling oftimeless rock &roll and ’70s-era dance music, merging supremely heavy guitar riffs with lush andpulsating grooves—all constructed sans digital programming, in keeping with his devotion to allthings analog. Worlds away from the glitzy fantasia of archetypal disco, Return To Zero inhabitsa far moodier atmosphere and ultimately makes for the most thrilling manifestation of Francis’peerless musicality yet.
Equal parts heady and hedonistic, pensive and euphoric, Francis’ third studio LP echoes both hisdeep-rooted psych-rock sensibilities and a lifelong affinity for classic funk. “I’ve always beenintrigued by music that toes the line between funk and rock,” notes Francis. “In the past I’veasked myself things like, ‘What would it sound like if Thin Lizzy cut a disco record?’ It’s somethingI’ve been fascinated with for a very long time, so I finally decided to really go for it.”
The follow-up to his 2023 double live album and concert filmFrancis Comes Alive, Return To Zeromarks Francis’ first full-length studio effort sinceIn Plain Sight—a 2021 release acclaimed by thelikes of leading rock critic Steven Hyden, who praised its “throwback big-band sound that recallsthe highs of 1970s funk and swamp rock.” With his past work also including his 2019 debut albumChanges(hailed as “the reincarnation of Allen Toussaint” by BBC Radio 6), Francis began playingpiano at the young age of four and became an in-demand sideman while still a teenager, touringwith revered blues artists and beloved instrumental band The Heard beforeembarking on hissolo career. Over the years, he’s sold out headline shows all across the globe, supported the likesof Wilco, Black Pumas, and My Morning Jacket, appeared at major festivals such as Bonnaroo,Fuji Rock, and Lollapalooza, and even performed at historic venues like Carnegie Hall.
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Doors 7PM // Show 8PM
Gold Circle is standing room closest to the stage. General Admission is standing room only. Mezzanine is on the second floor, reserved and fully seated. For more information please contact ticketing@guildtheatre.com